Carrier ring and dial assembly



Filed July 15, 1948 Fiaz.

E. ST. PIERRE ET AL 2,527,688

CARRIER RING AND DIAL ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet l Z VVEAIToRa' EUG'EzVESJ'HE/QRE,

-75 Win 201v J A7ry Oct. 31, 1950 E. ST. PIERRE ETAL 2,527,583

CARRIER RING AND DIAL ASSEMBLY Filed July 15, 1948 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NYE/V7025) El/G'ENESTB'WE} .7555 HWJWZOJY K, W

Jiffy Oct. 31, 1950 E. T. PIERRE ETAL 2,527,688

CARRIER RING AND DIAL ASSEMBLY Filed July 15, 1948 5 Sheet-Sheet s 4 FIG. 3. :79 Q

4 /7 g j 82 j 39 I Q s: a 3 Q; r u /0 r /5 4 1 F' I I l I I6 5 l .9 q Q E /2 QII Oct. 31, 1950 E. ST. PIERRE ETAL 2,527,633

CARRIER RING AND DIAL ASSEMBLY Filed July 15, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 NTORS,

1950 E. ST. PIERRE ETAL 2,527,688

' CARRIER RING AND DIAL ASSEMBLY Filed July 15, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 C l-q Patented Oct. 31, 1950 CARRIER AND DIAL ASSEMBLY o Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, and Joseph Wawzonek, Central Falls, R. I., assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 15, 1948, Serial No. 38,844

6 Claims. (ores-2s) This invention relates to an improvement in knitting machines of the circular, independent needle, type and, in particular, to cylinder and dial 'machines. As is 'well known; it is often desirable to raise the dial of such a machine without disturbing other parts. This may be accomplished by designing the dial mechanism so that the dial canbe raised vertically. This is a common arrangement and in itself forms no part of this invention. It is also desirable to be able to swing the dial upward and backward so as to open up as far as possible the carrier ring and the upper end of the needle cylinder. Also, it is often necessary to raise the carrier ring to give access to the upper part of the cylinder and associated mechanisms either with the dial or independent thereof if the dial has already been displaced. Furthermore, it is desirable that the carrier ring upon which the thread carriers are mounted should move up and down in harmony with theknitting cams as the stitches are lengthened or shortened. In' addition, it is sometimes desirable to be able to raise. one of the sides of the carrier ring independently of the other to a greater extent than can be readily accomplished by the usual stitch regulating mechanism. These things are among the general subject matters of this invention. The form shown in the drawing is adapted for use on circular, independent needle, knitting machines of the Banner type but, of course,.the invention is not limited to use on this type of machine.

One form of the invention is shown in the drawing of which:

Fig. l is a side elevation showing the dial and carrier ring and their supports and also showing in dotted line the dial mechanism swung upwardly and backwardly;

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation showing both thedial and carrier ring swung upwardly and backwardly;

' Fig. 3 isa side elevation partly in section generally similar to Fig. 1 but showing operating mechanism in greater detail;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing primarily the carrier ring and part of the mechanism whereby one side of it can be raised independently of the usual stitch length regulating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the rest of the mechanism for controlling the carrier ring not shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the latch plate of the latch arrangement by which the dial assembly is locked in operation position.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the cylinder I, sinker head 2 and carrier ring 3 are in their normal positions. In Fig. 1 dial 4' is also in the normal position assumed when'it is moved vertically into inoperative position and is shown mounted upon the'usual shaft 5 terminating in the usual driving connection 6 which engages with the usual driving gear assembly I (Fig. 3). As best shownin Fig. 3, the dial may be driven' through the series of gears and shafts shown, two of which shafts 8 and 9 are connected by universal joint [0. I r

The dial assembly is supported upon a yoke H which in turn is pivotally mounted on a fixed bracket l2 carrying opposed pivot pins l3 and 14, the horizontal common axis of which is in alignment with universal joint 10. Also, similarly mounted-on pivot pins l3 and I4 is yoke l5, one part of which forms the support for carrier ring pivot pin l6 and another part of which is in the form of an arm I! whichcarries an adjusting screw I, the end of which is engageable with dial bracket I I so that the free upward swing of pivot pin Hi can be limited as desired. Also; aiiixed to the end of pivot pin I3 is a ratchet 18; the teeth of which are engageable by a pawl l9 pivoted on bracket H which pawl is connected by suitable rods and levers such as 26 and 2| and 22 to latch 23 which is engageable with latch plate 24 upon the housing ofthe dial mechanism;

Carrier ring 3 is swingably mounted upon pivot pin I6 as best ShOWn in Figs, 3 and 4 so that it can tilt laterally andso that one side of the carrier ring, shown as the auxiliary sidein the drawing, can be raised or lowered, as desired, by mechanism for the purpose. The-side referred to can be raised without affecting the height of the other side of'the'carrier ring not only because the carrier ring can pivot upon pm IE but because pivot pin l6 canswing up within the limit permitted by screw Mia. The compound motion thus produced in the carrier ring tends to raise the front of the carrier ring slightly as well as itsside but this is immaterial as "will'be made clear hereafter.

The side of the carrier ring referred to, the auxiliary or left side in Fig. 4 of the drawing, is held in position not only by pivot pin l6, as already described, but by a latch in the form of a spring 25 engageable with a pin 26 aflixed to the carrier ring 3. Spring 25 is attached to a pivoted arm 21 which connects through rod 28, lever 29, pin 30, lever 3| and rod 32 to rocker 33.

Rocker 33 is normally urged towards a drum 34 provided with came #5 by a spring 38, Gen

sequently, as drum 34 is turned, as desired, rocker 33 will ride on the surface of the drum or the surface of each cam as required and the auxiliary side of carrier ring 3 will be raised by the amount determined by the height of cam 35 whenever rocker 33 rides upon one of these cams.

The need of the carrier ring adjustment provided by the device just described isillustrated by certain types of split foot knitting machines in which the level of the auxiliary knitting cams is:

greater than the level of the knitting cams at the main side. In consequence, the carrier ring which carries the auxiliary yarn feeds'must be higher than normal when split knitting is going on, as in the high splice and foot, to insure that the auxiliary yarn or yarns will be fed to the hooks 0f the needle and not below their latches. If the method.

ring remaining inits normal position, and can 1 be held in any desired upswung position by ratchet and pawl l8 and I9, latch 23 having been first released. To lower the dial again all that is necessary is to operate latch 23 which, through the connections already described, will disengage pawl l9'from ratchet I8.

Carrier ring 3 can also'be raised independently when the dial is down tothe extent permitted by screw [8a thus giving limitedaccess to the needle cylinder when the dial is in operating position.

When the dial is raised as shown either in full or dotted line in Fig. 1, carrier ring 3 can be independently raised or, if desired, both the'dial and carrier ring can be raised together by releasing latch 23 and lifting carrier ring 3 which; after screw Illa has contacted with bracket l I, will also cause the dial to swing upward.

Carrier ring 3 which, as already stated, can rock upon its supporting pivot pin I6 may also be removed from the machine with ease. As. best seen in Fig. 3, pivot pin [6 is provided with-an annular channel 31 adapted toreceive a key- 38 attached to carrier ring 3 by screw 39. Removal of screw 39 will release key 38 which can=then be withdrawn from channel 31 and the carrier: ring removed.

We claim: 7

1. In a circular, independent needle; knitting machine having a needle cylinder, the combination of a carrier ring and adial and a pivot about whichsaid ring and dial are swingable, together and separately, upwardly, and away fromthe needle cylinder.

2., In a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a dial assembly, a support therefor, a pivot in said support around which said assembly may be moved away from the needle cylinder, a drive for said dial which includes a universal joint the center of which intersects the major axis of the said pivot in the dial assembly support, whereby the pivoting of said assembly may be accomplished without breaking the driving connection to said dial.

3. In an independent needle, circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a multiple direction pivot unit, a carrier ring mounted on said pivot unit for movement away from the needle cylinder, a holding member operative on said ring 5 at oneside of said pivot unit for holding a part of the ring in fixed position, and a tilting member operative on said ring at the other side of said pivot unit for tilting said ring through said pivot'unit without moving said part of the ring from its fixed position.

4; In an independent needle, circular knitting machine, a needle cylinder and a-carrier ringhaving an operative position above said cylinder, 9. support for said carrier ring, said support compris. ing a pivot above and outside of said cylinder whereby said ring may be swung up and: away from said cylinder, and another pivot inwardly from and at a right angle to said outsidepivot whereby said ring maybe tilted.

5. In an independent needle, circular knitting machine, a needle cylinder and a carrier-ring having an operative position over said cylinder, a support for said carrier ring, said support comprising a pivot above and outside of said cylinder whereby said ring may be swung up and away from said cylinder, and-another pivot inwardly from and at a right angle to said outside pivot whereby said ring, from its operative position, may be tilted transversely to said cylinder, a holding member operative on said ring at one side of said support, for holding a part of the ring in fixed position, and a tilting member operative on said ring at the other side of said support, for tilting said ring through said pivots Without-moving said part of the ring, from its fixed position.

6. In a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having a needle cylinder, the-combination of a carrier ring and dial as'claimed in claim 1 in which said dial is also vertically movable independently of its other movement or of the movement of the carrier ring.

EUGENE ST. PIERRE. JOSEPH WAWZONEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS St. Pierre et al.- Aug.14, 1945 

